School Counselor Controversy: Helpful or Not?

Counselors are brought into schools to be the backbone for students’ success. Students can rely on them for guidance, important information, and overall any advice they need–especially regarding high school. But are counselors really all that?

The Raiders of Rangeview High School have said no. Students do not see their counselors as the trusted adult they are brought in to be. Based on a survey released, 21% of students either don’t know their counselor, or have never met with them. 

Ultimately it feels like a big miscommunication. Students feel afraid to open up to counselors, and feel like they aren’t getting the support they need, while counselors have no idea that they even need this support.

Everyone is aware of the fact that counselors, and any trusted adult for that matter, are required to report certain things you might tell them that may be concerning. Although that requirement is put there for students safety, a lot of the time they don’t necessarily see it that way. 

Instead of looking at it from the teacher’s perspective, they look at it like they’re back in elementary school.They want secrets to be kept safe, even if spilling the secret might save their lives. 

Along with being labeled as untrustworthy, students aren’t really sure what counselors motives are. From the poll results, a student described the counselors as “cops without the badges”. 

Are counselors more concerned about the students’ well-being? Or are they more concerned with how problems are affecting Rangeview’s reputation? Counselors must clarify their goals and express them to troubled students if they hope to interact with them effectively.

All of the issues stated above are why some students don’t even know who their counselors are. They don’t trust them enough to go to the counselors if needed, and they don’t trust them enough to open up and ask about college, or life after highschool. 

The counselors are not the only ones to blame, they don’t even know that the blame is put on them.

“Yeah, so I think that typically what we try to do around here is to just have an open door policy. So as long as students are willing to advocate for themselves and come down, we’re always willing to help answer any questions and help inform them like whatever they need help with,” said Rangeview counselor Joe Eck. 

Students should get over their fears of going into their counselor’s office and advocating for themselves. They should be willing to walk in and talk about whatever is bothering them. 

Even if students aren’t outgoing enough to go meet with their counselors, they are there for you. They make sure you graduate on time, make sure you’re on track, and when it gets to that point they will help you with college applications.